I recently became aware that there is some cartoon out there called "The Family Guy", about a very fat guy (named Peter?), his wife, a dog, and a vicious little midget of some kind named "Stewie". The short movies I have seen which deal with these characters are generally tasteless, gross, and unappealing...to me, anyway.

So, what's the story? Is it a competitor to "The Simpsons"? Is it a regular TV show? And what the hell is Stewie supposed to be, a kid or a very small and psychotic adult?

All I have seen of it is a few short videos on the Net.